Cover Sheet - Maine€¦ · Web viewBrochures and public education addressing basics about Food...

Cover Sheet

Address:

Bureau of Family IndependenceMaine Department of Human Services11 State House StationWhitten RoadAugusta ME 04333-0011

Contact:

Jason Jones, Program ManagerFood Stamp ProgramBureau of Family IndependenceMaine Department of Health Human Services11 State House StationWhitten RoadAugusta ME 04333-0011Tel: 207-287-5098Fax: 207-287-5096E-mail: [email protected]

Time Period for Proposed Pilot: September 2001 to September 2003

Level of Grant Support Requested: $350,000

Preface

Table of Contents

Abstract

In Maine, the number of households with persons over 65 has doubled from 1990 to 2000;

approximately 18% of Maine’s seniors age 60 and older are low income, higher than the national

average of 13%, yet only 6% of these seniors are enrolled in the Food Stamp Program. The goal

of this project is to increase the number of eligible seniors who are enrolled and remain in the

FSP through the outreach efforts of trained senior Application Assistants (age 55 and above),

who not only provide peer education and application assistance to eligible seniors but also

engage in community education to further support the ability and willingness of seniors to

become enrolled. To this end, we will design, test, and produce an Application Assistance

Training Curriculum, Field Guide and community educational materials that are culturally

sensitive to senior, low income and less educated persons. We will hire and train one Project

Coordinator and three senior Application Assistants using the materials developed under the

grant. The Application Assistants will be drawn from the pool of seniors participating in the

Senior Community Services Employment Program (SCSEP), a job-training program operating in

all fifty states. These staff will partner with community and state agencies to provide community

education to seniors, families, service providers and other interested parties and create a network

of referrals sources. Staff will screen referrals and provide one-to-one peer education and support

to seniors to maximize the number who successfully apply for and remain with the Food Stamp

Program. The training and educational materials will be refined based on experience and

feedback. The result will be a field-tested Application Assistance Training Curriculum, Field

Guide and community educational materials that can be adapted to any state’s policy content and

a method of reaching eligible seniors that makes use of a ubiquitous pool of senior workers to

provide peer education and support for these seniors.

Project Design and ImplementationNeed for Research ProjectIn Maine, as in the rest of the country, the number of seniors is growing. The number of Maine

households with persons over 65 has doubled from 1990 to 2000, and Maine has a higher

number than the national average of persons age 65 and older (14.1% vs. 12.7%, respectively).

Seniors currently account for approximately 30 percent of all health care expenditures, a

percentage that will increase as the population increases. Poor nutritional status can contribute to

poor health and/or delay the recovery from illness. Two of the most significant factors affecting

dietary quality for US seniors are income and education level. Approximately 18% of Maine’s

seniors age 60 and older are low income, higher than the national average of 13%, yet only 6%

of these seniors are enrolled in the Food Stamp Program (FSP).

The most commonly given reason for nonparticipation by seniors in FSP is that they do not think

they are eligible for the program. Other reasons include difficulty complying with program

requirements, an expectation of low benefits, the stigma of using benefits in stores, perceptions

that they do not need assistance and other administrative and psychological barriers. In a rural

state such as Maine, barriers to participation also include transportation and a strong culture of

self-sufficiency.

In addition, the form itself can be intimidating, particularly for individuals with lower literacy

levels. The National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) showed that literacy levels start to decline at

age 50. For seniors aged 65 and older, about half read around 5th/6th grade or below and another

25% read at only 8th grade. Therefore, approximately 75% have very limited reading skills

(NALS Levels 1 and 2).

Research is needed to assess more effective approaches to making participation in the Food

Stamp program more accessible to rural seniors including:

Designing training and public education materials on the Food Stamp program to meet the needs of elder adults in format, content and delivery methods;

Building on existing senior employment programs to provide application assistance through peer education and support.

Goals and Objectives

Project Goal

Goal #1: The number of eligible seniors who are enrolled and remain in the FSP will be increased through the outreach efforts of trained senior Application Assistants (age 55 and above) who not only provide education and application assistance to eligible seniors but also engage in community education to further support the ability and willingness of seniors to become enrolled.

Project Objectives

Objective 1: To design, test, and produce an Application Assistance Training Curriculum, Field Guide and community educational materials that are culturally sensitive to senior, low income and less educated persons.

Objective 2: To train one Project Coordinator and three senior Application Assistants using the Application Assistance Curriculum, Field Manual and other educational materials developed under the grant.

Objective 3: To provide one-on-one Application Assistance to 2,000 seniors in the Waldo County pilot site by September 30, 2003.

Objective 4: To increase and maintain Food Stamp enrollment by eligible seniors by 20%.

Objective 5: To provide information and education on how the Food Stamp program can help improve nutritious eating to 90% of seniors in the home meals program.

Objective 6: To offer Application Assistance training to staff from community agencies during the second training of Application Assistants using a refined curriculum.

Objective 7: To provide one Train the Trainers session to staff from 5 Maine Area Agencies on Aging and SCSEP administrators to disseminate the Application Assistance training statewide and to promote replication of the Waldo County pilot program at the conclusion of the grant.

Site CharacteristicsWaldo County has been chosen as the site for targeted interventions, and Washington County has

been chosen as the comparison site. Waldo County is geographically small enough to effectively

carry out a comprehensive community education program and yet has a large number of senior

citizens, a high poverty rate, a low proportion of Food Stamp utilization by seniors and low

levels of literacy. The county also has a very strong network of community service providers and

a local community action agency (the Waldo County Committee for Social Action), with a long

tradition of providing low income and elderly assistance. The Waldo County Committee for

Social Action has agreed to collaborate with the Department to operate the Application

Assistance pilot program and to lead in the development of community linkages.

Washington County, although geographically much larger, has many similar characteristics.

These two extremely rural coastal counties are similar on the following:

Dimension Waldo WashingtonPopulation 36,965 35,352Percent Poverty 14.3 17.7Percent in Poverty on Food Stamps 4.54 3.99Population 60+ 6,628 7,525Percent 60+ in Poverty 18 19.5Percent 60+ on Food Stamps 8.0 11.1Percent HS Graduates 78 74Percent Literate at NALS Levels 1 and 2 44 51Number of Retailers Participating in the Food Stamp Program

58 80

Average Number of Food Stamp Recipients per Retailer

62.2 60.6

Moreover, these two counties are geographically separate enough that the community education

effort in Waldo County will not contaminate the comparison site. Both counties have major

barriers to participation such as very few options for transportation and a strong culture of self-

sufficiency.

Project Design and Implementation Task DescriptionsThe major activities of this project are two-fold (see Table 1 for a detailed task description and

timeline). First, a set of educational materials and a method of training will be developed for

training Application Assistants that will be replicable with seniors across the state and the nation.

The curriculum, field manual and informational/educational materials will be developed by the

Institute for Public Sector Innovation (IPSI), Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service,

University of Southern Maine, in consultation with seniors and the Food Stamp Office. The

curriculum will be adapted from an existing Standard Eligibility Policy Training that was

collaboratively developed by IPSI and DHS for all new Family Independence Specialists hired

by the Bureau of Family Independence, (BFI). Details on the design and delivery of the training

program are included in Appendix F.

The second major project activity is the training and deployment of three part time (24 hour per

week) Application Assistants, plus one fulltime Program Coordinator, to work directly with

elderly residents in Waldo County (see Job Descriptions in Appendix C). All four staff will be

employees of the WCCSA, who will administer the program under a subcontract from the

Bureau of Elder and Adult Services. The four Project Staff will educate seniors, their families,

community agencies and other interested parties about the benefits of the Food Stamp Program

(FSP) and the impending change to an Electronic Benefit Transfer system. They will also act as

liaisons to the Food Stamp Office; establish referral, intake and follow-up procedures to assure

ease in using the Food Stamp Program; provide one-to-one peer assistance in completing

applications; promote participation in elderly nutrition programs; arrange transportation; assist in

preparing eligibility documentation; and help seniors remain on the program throughout the re-

certification process. Application assistance will be provided in homes, at meal sites, in

community settings, in person, by telephone, after hours -- wherever and whenever it is

convenient to seniors.

The three part time Application Assistants will be selected from among current participants in

the Senior Community Services Employment Program (SCSEP). Using senior workers already

involved with the SCSEP maximizes existing resources by training peers who are known in their

community and have a unique understanding of the age and cultural issues of potential

recipients. It will also contribute to project replicability, since every state has a subsidized

SCSEP program, so any state can use the training materials to prepare their own SCSEP

Application Assistants at little or no additional cost.

The Project Coordinator will work with all local community service providers to inform them

about this project, engage them in partnership in support of the project and establish a

collaborative network for referrals and service linkages. The Coordinator will liaison with the

Nutrition for Seniors and Senior FarmShare Programs to encourage their staff to make referrals

and educate seniors in how best to use their Food Stamps for healthful nutrition. The Coordinator

will function as a liaison with the local Food Stamp Office providing community education/staff

training and acting as a facilitator for the screening and application process. BFI will assign one

staff person to act as liaison to the project in the local office to receive and process elderly

applications. The Coordinator will also serve as liaison with the federally chosen evaluation

contractors and will complete all required state and federal reports. Project staff will work with

IPSI and BEAS to convert training and educational materials to the BEAS website to increase

public access to program information and eligibility screening tools. Waldo County’s largest

employer, MBNA, has expressed some interest in donating time from some of their technology

staff to assist in making more materials and procedures web accessible.

As seniors, family members and community agencies become familiar with the FSP and its

benefits to seniors, the number of self, family and agency referrals will increase. As more seniors

are referred, more will be effectively screened, and more will enroll in the program. The Project

Assistants will maintain follow-up to assure that the seniors continue to receive benefits by

assisting with renewal paperwork and will promote referral to senior nutrition programs. Along

with an increased number of seniors receiving and healthfully using Food Stamps, additional

benefits include a training curriculum, field guide and informational materials that can be used

with any population of seniors and a collaborative network of established community agencies

that can support the continuation of the project beyond the grant period.

Waiver Requests: N/AImplementation Schedule: See Table 1TransferabilityThis project will result in the creation of a field tested curriculum, field guide and informational

materials that can be adapted to any State’s policy content and unique characteristics and a

project implementation plan that is transferable to any State Agency. By using the existing

resources, including state welfare agencies, state units on aging, community service providers

and SCSEP enrollees, any state can build their own network of peer assistants and collaborative

partners to increase the FSP participation of eligible seniors.

TABLE 1 -- Task Milestone Table: Task Description and Implementation Schedule# Task

MilestonesObj. #

Description Start Date End Date Responsible Staff

1 Convene Advisory Group

1 - 7 Convene first

meeting of Project Advisory Group

Establish monthly meeting schedule

10/1/01 On-going Program Manager FSP; and Advisory Group Chair

2 Develop Subcontracts

1 - 7 Complete

subcontract with WCCSA

Complete subcontract with USM

10/1/01 10/15/01 Program Manager, FSP; BEAS

3 Project Staff Recruitment 2

Place advertisements for On-Site Project Coordinator

Meet with SCSEP staff to recruit

10/20/01 11/30/01 WCCSA; BEAS

# Task Milestones

Obj. #


appropriate SCSEP enrollees for Application Assistant positions

Conduct interviews and select staff

4 Develop Public Information Materials

1,4,5 Develop a

program brochure

Develop handouts and materials for informing community referral sources of pilot program (health centers, meal sites, CAP programs, town offices, local businesses, non-profits serving the elderly, etc.)

Prepare press releases

10/20/01 12/21/01 IPSI Eligibility Training Specialists; FSP Liaison

5 Develop Curriculum for Application Assistant Training

1,2 Review existing

50 hour IPSI curriculum for training Food Stamp Eligibility Workers

Make appropriate adaptations

Develop draft of simplified screening tools for estimating eligibility

Produce 4 day

10/20/01 12/31/01 IPSI Eligibility Training Specialists; FSP Liaison

# Task Milestones

Obj. #


curriculum, including trainer manual, trainee manual, etc.

6 Develop Field Manual

1,2 Develop field

manual for use of Application Assistants on-site

11/23/01 1/11/01 IPSI Eligibility Training Specialists, FSP Liaison

7 Establish protocols with Local Food Stamp Office

1- 4 Orient new

Project Staff to the goals and objectives of the grant and to the food stamp program.

Discuss working relationships and protocols between Project Staff, FSP liaison, and local food stamp office staff

Confirm processes for handling applications (process as defined by Advisory Group and refined over time)

Establish a schedule for on-going meetings between Project Staff and Local FS Office

12/01/01

12/15/01

12/15/01

On-going

Project Staff;FSP Liaison;Project Advisory Group

8 Plan Public Information

4 Develop a strategy for

12/01/01 12/31/01 Project Staff

# Task Milestones

Obj. #


Campaign informing eligible population of pilot program

Identify community sites, agencies and businesses to be informed of program

Identify local media to be contacted with press releases

9 Implement Information Campaign

4 Issue press releases in local newspapers, TV news, radio stations, etc.

Hold a kick-off event for elderly and their families to provide information on FSP and Application Assistance

Begin releasing public information materials to local businesses, health care centers, elderly services, non-profits, meal sites, community sites, etc. Prepare materials for BEAS Web site.

1/01/02

1/01/02

1/31/02

On-going

Project Staff;FSP Liaison and other local FSP Office staff

# Task Milestones

Obj. #


10

Deliver first pilot of Application Assistance Curriculum

1,2 Deliver curriculum for training Project Staff in Food Stamp application policies, procedures, rules, etc.

Familiarize Project Staff with use of the on-site Field Manual

Orient Project Staff to their role in piloting and evaluating the training curriculum and Field Manual and the process for providing feedback through the Project Advisory Group

1/11/02 1/31/02 Project Staff;IPSI Eligibility Training Specialists

11

Build Local Referral and Assistance Networks

3 - 5 Meet with staff of local agencies serving the elderly to inform them of available services

Disseminate informational materials

Develop cooperative agreements and protocols for referral

Promote interest

1/01/02 On-going Project Coordinator

# Task Milestones

Obj. #


in creating liaison positions within local agencies to coordinate with Project

12

Provide Application Assistance

3 - 5 Provide one on one peer application assistance to potentially eligible elderly at community sites, in their homes, after hours, with their families, via telephone, etc.

Assist elderly in gathering documentation to support applications

Assist elderly in understanding and using EBT cards in local markets (after October 2002)

Follow-up to assist in re-certification and to encourage elderly to remain on the program

Facilitate application review process with local FS office

Continue on-going collaboration

2/01/02 9/30/03 Application Assistants

# Task Milestones

Obj. #


with nutrition programs

Continue publicity campaign

13

Finalize Application Assistance Training Curriculum

1,2,6,7

Based of experience and feedback of Project Staff, edit training curriculum and Field Manual

Edit curriculum to introduce EBT materials

Prepare final drafts for potential national dissemination


14

Deliver final curriculum 1,2,6,

7

Deliver final curriculum to Application Assistants as a refresher, to complete curriculum evaluation, and to introduce new EBT materials

Train community agency staff as Application Assistants

In consultation with evaluation contractor, place material on web site


15

Develop Train the 7

Produce a Train the Trainer

8/01/02 9/30/02 IPSI Eligibility Training Specialists

# Task Milestones

Obj. #


Trainer Curriculum

curriculum to allow any agency to offer an Application Assistance program

16

Deliver Train the Trainer Curriculum

7 Deliver the

Train the Trainer curriculum to all Maine AAA’s in order to disseminate the program statewide and to SCSEP National Sponsors

Make Application Assistance Training Curriculum and Field Manual available statewide

7/01/03 9/30/03 Project Staff

17

Prepare Reports

1 – 7 Prepare all federal quarterly and final reports

1/01/02 9/30/03 Project Coordinator

18

Evaluation Coordination

1 - 7 Cooperate with evaluation contractor to conduct evaluation activities

10/01/01 9/30/03 Project Staff

Key PersonnelBrief summaries of relevant experience for all Key Personnel are included in Appendix A. Key

staff roles are summarized below:

Name Agency Title% FTE Project Role

J. Jones BFI Food Stamp Program Manager

5%Oversight of Project; member of Project Advisory Board (All Objectives)

S. Smith BEAS Mgr. of Community Programs

5%Member of Project Advisory Board (All Objectives)

J. Johnson Catholic Charities

Older Worker Specialist and Coordinator of SCSEP

10%Director of SCSEP Program, designing on-going role for SCSEP in project replication; advisor to curriculum development; member of Project Advisory Board (Objectives 1, 3, 7)

D. Day WCCSA Transportation Director

15%Responsible for recruitment of four Project Staff, administrative supervision and oversight of program at local level; financial and program oversight of subcontract (Objectives 2, 3, 4, 6)

A. Anderson BFI Food Stamp Supervisor

10%Coordination of project with food stamp office; consultant to training; member of Project Advisory Group (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7)

W. Williams IPSI Manager, Public Welfare Training

15%Managing development of the Application Assistance curriculum and supervising training; member of the Project Advisory Board (Objectives 1, 2, 7)

M. Moore IPSI Project Specialist, Nutrition for Seniors Program

5%Technical assistance in senior nutrition; dissemination of Nutrition for Seniors Curriculum to Project Team; member of the Project Advisory Board (Objectives 1, 3, 5)

TBA WCCSA Project Coordinator 100%See Job Description in Appendix(Objectives 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

TBA WCCSA Application Assistants (3)

60% each

See Job Description in Appendix(Objectives 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Experience of Proposed PartnersThe Bureau of Family Independence (BFI) is responsible for the development and

implementation of the rules, regulations, policies and procedures used to determine eligibility for

state welfare program, including Food Stamps.

The Bureau of Elder and Adult Services (BEAS) is the State Unit on Aging in Maine with a

mission to promote optimal health, safety and independence for seniors and adults with

disabilities. Through contracts with five Area Agencies on Aging and other community

providers, the Bureau serves more than 40,000 older and disabled adults, most over the age of 75

and almost all poor.

One of the programs administered by BEAS is the Senior Community Service Employment

Program (SCSEP), a federally funded employment and training program for older adults.

Participants in SCSEP are paid for 20 hours of work weekly in a non-profit agency and receive

on-the-job training and supervision. One goal of SCSEP is to help enrollees find meaningful

employment outside of SCSEP so that more people can participate in the program.

The Waldo County Committee for Social Action (WCCSA) is a private, non-profit, 501-C3,

charitable and educational cooperation organized in 1965 with a mission to create opportunities

for low-income people to improve their quality of life. For thirty seven years, WCCSA has

provided educational and outreach services to low-income people by and through administering

other programs over the years including a County-wide Transportation System, Senior Nutrition

Project, Housing and Weatherization Services, Home Energy Assistance Programs, Senior

Citizen Out Reach Program, Telephone Lifeline Program, Community Alcohol Services,

Comprehensive Employment and Training Act programs, Early Periodic Screening and

Diagnostic Treatment Program, Project Seed, Family Development Accounts and Community

Services Block Grant.

The Institute for Public Sector Innovation (IPSI) is a research, development and public service

organization within the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine.

IPSI has been in partnership with the Maine Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide

training, staff development and organizational development for DHS since 1991. Among the

many training programs offered to DHS employees is the Standard Eligibility Policy Training for

all new DHS Family Independence Specialists responsible for determining eligibility for Food

Stamps, Medicaid, and TANF. In addition, IPSI also administers the Nutrition for Seniors

program, a collaborative effort of several community partners to provide nutrition education/

counseling and follow-up to elderly participating in Area Agency on Aging (AAA) programs at a

variety of settings.

Management and Budget PlanChain of Command and ResponsibilitiesTo provide guidance to the project, a Project Advisory Group will be established to include

representatives from each of the collaborating agencies, including: BFI, BEAS, WCCSA, IPSI,

SCSEP, the Nutrition for Seniors and Senior FarmShare Programs. This group will work to

assure smooth communication and collaboration among the partner agencies, use feedback from

the Coordinator and Assistants to identify barriers and facilitators of project progress, and make

on-going adjustments to the project as needed.

The project and its staff will be under the direct supervision of WCCSA, who will be a member

of the Project Advisory Group and will be responsible to the Program Manager, Food Stamp

Program, for the appropriate management of the project.

Contingency Plans

All the partners involved in this project are stable, long-standing organizations with sufficient

resources and knowledgeable staff to handle contingencies and to step in if one or more Project

Advisory Group (PAG) members need to be replaced. The WCCSA has the capacity to quickly

reassign staff or screen and hire new staff to replace the Project Coordinator; a member of the

Advisory Group can function as an interim Coordinator. The Application Assistants, because

they come from a pool of workers from the SCSEP, can be replaced from that pool and trained

with the project curriculum. The PAG will provide a stable management framework for

addressing any unexpected problems that may arise.

Outside PersonnelThe Project Advisory Group will act as the central coordinating body for this project. Members,

who are representatives of all partnering agencies, will oversee the timely completion of project

tasks and problem-solve solutions to any major impediments in the development of the project.

Once the program of assistance has begun, the Food Stamp Program Manager, will oversee the

WCCSA’s implementation of the program. The Advisory Group will continue to act as a

resource and provide support for the project.

Appendices

Appendix A

Relevant Experience of Key Personnel

J. Jones, Food Stamp Program Manager, has been employed by the Maine Department of Human Services for over 20 years. He has overseen the Income Maintenance Unit, General Assistance Program and Food Stamp Program. In his current position, he reviews and analyzes the scope, nature and availability of program services and resources to develop and implement statewide services as well as assessing program trends to assist in managing operations.

S. Smith, M.Ed., Manager of Community Programs, has been employed by the Bureau of Elder and Adult Services, Maine Department of Human Services for almost 20 years. The Community Programs Unit administers the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, Outreach and Nutrition Services at Area Agencies on Aging, Maine Medicare Education Partnership, National Family Caregiver Support Program, and the Senior Community Service Employment Program. She has served as Director of Project Maine Neighbor, a program to improve access to health care for Maine's older citizens, and of the Maine State Foster Grandparent Program, in which 74 low-income citizens aged 60 and over serve special needs children.

J. Johnson, Older Worker Specialist for the Bureau of Elder and Adult Services, DHS, and Coordinator of SCSEP, has been a businessman and consultant for over 30 years. He works with older, low-income adults who are seeking work in their community. He is aware of the issues older, low-income adults face as they try to find employment and stretch their limited financial resources to meet their needs. Jim has worked with Ed Murphy from Waldo County Committee for Social Action and other SCSEP grantee agencies.

D. Day, Transportation Director, WCCSA, has administered a senior citizen outreach component associated with delivering transportation services from 1976 to the present. He currently has one part-time outreach worker on his staff. Over the years, he has overseen many different outreach programs within the WCCSA. He has attended and provided presentations at all Senior Citizen group meetings throughout Waldo County. During the 1980’s, he employed two Senior Citizen Outreach workers administering a nutrition education program that included assisting seniors with planning diets, grocery shopping, and preparing nutritious meals. As Deputy Director of WCCSA in the early 90’s, he was co-responsible for a wide variety of community action programs including WCCSA’s Outreach and Referral Office.

A. Anderson, Supervisor, Food Stamp Program, has worked for the Department of Human Services since 1974. She was hired as a food stamp worker in Waldo County and was employed in that position until her promotion to supervisor in 1980. She currently supervises a staff of 13 eligibility specialists in the Food Stamp and Medicaid programs. Her office services Waldo, Knox, Lincoln and Sagadahoc Counties.

W. Williams, MA, is Manager of Public Welfare Training at the Muskie School’s Institute for Public Sector Innovation. She has more than 25 years of experience working with state and federal programs, including nearly ten years as a Program Officer for ACTION Programs (including the Older American Volunteer Programs) in northern New England. Through her work at IPSI, she oversaw the development of the training curricula and related materials for the Standard Eligibility Policy Training; she manages the ongoing operation of that training project.

M. Moore, MS, RD, LD, is a Registered Dietician and the Project Specialist for the Nutrition for Seniors program. In her current position, she maintain and enhances a nutrition education program for low-income elderly through continuous development of nutrition education curriculums, direct training interventions, and acting as liaison among University of Maine campuses and the Department of Human Services.

Appendix B

Subcontract Agreement

SUBCONTRACT

Subcontract with Waldo County Committee for Social Action to hire three Application Assistants for 24 hours per week paid at the rate of $8.50 per hour, plus one Project Coordinator, for 40 hours per week, paid at the rate of $18.00 per hour, plus fringe benefits, travel, telephone, postage, office supplies, printing/copying, equipment and agency indirect for a two year contract.

Salaries Application Assistants= 24 hours per week x 104 weeks (two years) x $8.50 per hour 63,648

x 3 positions

Project Coordinator = 40 hours per week x 74,880104 weeks (two years) x $18.00 per hourx 1 position

Fringe = 33% of salary 45,714

Travel = .28 per mile x 1000 miles 26,880per month x 24 months x 4 staff

Telephone = $200 per month x 24 19,200months x 4 staff

Postage = $200 per month 4,800

Office Supplies = $25 per month per staff x 2,4004 staff

Printing/Copying = $25 per month per staff 2,400

Equipment = Laptop computers for field staff 3 x $2,500 7,500

Indirect = 10% of total direct cost 24,742

Total for the WCCSA contract 272,164

Appendix C

Training Materials and Training

In the summer of 2000, the IPSI began to provide Standard Eligibility Policy Training for all new Family Independence Specialists hired by the Bureau of Family Independence, Maine Department of Human Services. Specialists are responsible for determining eligibility for Food Stamps, Medicaid, and TANF. The training program includes fifty hours of classroom training on basic policy for each of the three programs; all training is provided by former Family Independence Specialists. During the Food Stamp portion of the training, participants work with the Food Stamp Policy Manual and comprehensive participant packets containing training exercises, guides, and general program information related to Food Stamps. They also receive a Food Stamp Learning-at-Work Guide to complement what is covered in the classroom.

Materials that IPSI developed for the Food Stamp Policy Training (e.g., the Food Stamp curriculum, Food Stamp Learning-at-Work Guide, and Participant Packet for Food Stamp Training) will be the basis for materials designed for the Food Stamp Application Assistants. In order to meet the needs of this project, however, the materials will be adapted to accomplish the following:

1) Emphasize general information pertinent to Seniors and Food Stamp application procedures rather than BFI staff responsibilities. For example, Application Assistants will need to know are the following types of information:

a. How to fill out a Food Stamp application form, answer common questions about the application, and explain why some personal information is requested on the form;

b. General information about key Food Stamp Policies that are of particular interest to Seniors (e.g., the asset limit for people over 60, the fact that there is no asset test for people who receive SSI, exclusion of a person’s residence and primary vehicle from countable assets, and deducting medical expenses for people over age 60); and,

c. Types of documentation that will need to be provided to verify information on the application form.

2) Reflect the fact that both the intended audience and the Application Assistants are elder adults. Font, text layout, and sentence structure will be designed to assure a high level of readability; content will focus on information relevant to Seniors.

3) Clarify and reinforce the differences between the role of Application Assistants and that of Family Independence Specialists, who determine eligibility. For example, it is important that Application Assistants never promise that a person will be found eligible for Food Stamps.

All materials will be tested in the pilot area. Application assistants will be encouraged to give feedback about the training curriculum and project materials through the Project Advisory Group. Their suggestions will be incorporated into final revisions of the Curriculum, Field Manual, brochures and public education materials.

Materials will be designed in such a way that they can be posted on the Internet for ease of access by people interested in replicating the project. We will place them on the Internet after they have been revised to incorporate feedback from the pilot period.

A. Materials to be developed:

1. Basic Curriculum to train Application Assistants in the basic information about the Food Stamp Program.

2. Field Manual of materials related to Food Stamps to serve as a reference guide for Application Assistants.

3. Brochures and public education addressing basics about Food Stamps. Public education materials will include information about Food Stamps of interest to Seniors and will be designed for use in a wide variety of settings likely to be frequented by Seniors (e.g., libraries, health centers, Senior Centers, congregate meal sites, churches, volunteer organizations, etc.).

4. Train-the-Trainer Curriculum for representatives from Area Agencies on Aging interested in replicating the program in their service areas. This training will be designed to teach them how to deliver the Basic Curriculum for Application Assistants. The experience and suggestions of the Application Assistants will be incorporated in the Basic Curriculum before the Train-the-Trainer Curriculum is developed.

5. Guides for Seniors Using EBT Cards. EBT-related materials will be developed when Maine’s EBT system is designed in 2002. Information about using EBT will be incorporated into the final version of the training curriculum and Field Manual.

B. Training to be delivered:

1) Initial 4-day training using the Basic Curriculum for Application Assistants. Training will be provided by the Muskie staff that provide Standard Eligibility Policy Training for new BFI Specialists.

2) Follow-up training for Application Assistants after 6 months of project operation. During the follow-up training, Application Assistants will learn about EBT cards and how to guide Seniors through learning how to use the cards.

3) Training of Trainers on how to use the Basic Curriculum. This training will be provided to representatives from interested Area Agencies on Aging.

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